Friday, October 28, 2011

Ayahs of the day:And be wary of a day when no soul can compensate for another soul, and no compromise will be accepted from it, and no intercession will avail it, and they will not be helped. [2: 123]

Hadith of the day:If you were to rely on Allah as He should be relied on, He would provide for you as He provides for the birds. They go out in the morning hungry and return in the evening full. [Tirmidhi]

Wise quote of the day:Devotion to one's religious duty (taqwa) is the foundation of all that is good, it is a source of worldly benefit, a source of wisdom and all kinds of knowledge, of purity of heart and of many secrets. [Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani]

Guidance of the day:In fact, the guile of Satan is ever feeble (4: 76). It is like a cobweb appearing before you -- it cannot prevent you from going forward, and you do not have to attach any great importance to it. Satan only suggests or whispers, gilds sinful acts and presents them in falsely ornamented wrappers. Believers must never accept his invitations.

When Satan resorts to whispering, we should realize that he is using his weakest strategy and ignore him. If we pay attention to these whisperings, we may be defeated. Believers who listen to Satan weaken their ability to resist both him and their carnal selves. In the end such believers are defeated. Believers who want to avoid this trap should remain far away from sins, all of which Satan tries to make attractive. Heedlessness and neglect of worship are invitations to Satan's "arrows". Remembering the All-Merciful, thinking about noble or sacred phenomena, and living a religious life protect us from Satan's attacks. [M. Fethullah Gulen]

Food for thought:Morality, reason, judgment, and enthusiasm are the qualities of a leader and the foundations for success. Nothing so conclusive proves a man's ability to lead others as what he does from day to day to lead himself.

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Ayahs of the day:Those to whom We have given the Book read it as it really is to be read; they believe in it. And if any repudiate it, then they are the losers. [2: 121]

Hadith of the day:Allah does not look at your bodies nor your forms, but He looks at your hearts and your actions. [Bukhari & Muslim]

Wise quote of the day:Good character consists in three traits -- avoiding that which is forbidden; seeking that which is permitted; and being generous towards others. [Imam Ghazali]

Guidance of the day:Satan does everything he can to seduce us. We are very complex beings, for God manifests all of His names on us in this world of testing. We are sent here to be trained so that we can serve as a mirror to God and earn eternal happiness.

In order to do this, we must train and develop all of our God-given feelings, faculties, and potentials. If some of these are not trained (e.g., intellect, anger, greed, obstinacy, and lust) and directed to lofty goals, but abused and used for disagreeable purposes, we will place our present and future life in danger. This is also true if we do not restrict our natural desires and animal instincts by satisfying them in acceptable ways. [M. Fethullah Gulen]

Food for thought:There are no secrets to success -- it is result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failures. Try, try, try, and keep trying is the rule that must be followed to become an expert in anything. Luck is when opportunities and preparation meet.

Monday, October 10, 2011

Friends have a large influence on our lives. Islam has emphasized on choosing companions who are upright and noble. The Prophet (peace be upon him said), “Man is on his friend’s religion. Therefore, man should see with whom he is making friends.” (Abu Dawood, no.4815).

Friendship that leads one to Allah’s disobedience is not worth it. Ibn Qudamah Al-Maqdisi mentions in his book Mukhtasar Minhaj Al-Qasidin (pg. 126-132) some valuable points on this topic:

Know that not everyone is suitable to be your friend. You must verify that this potential friend has the neccessary characteristics that make friendship with him something to be desired. The one you seek to befriend must have five characteristics:

• He must be intelligent, as there is no good in befriending an idiot, as he will only harm you when he wants to benefit you. By intelligent, we mean one who understands things as they are, either on his own, or if they are explained to him.

• He must have good manners, and this is a must. One who is simply intelligent might be overcome by anger or desire, and obey his desire. Thus, there would be no benefit in befriending him.

• He must not be a fasiq, the one who openly disobeys Allah, as such a person would not fear Allah, and whoever does not fear Allah cannot be trusted.

• He must not be an innovator, as his over-indulgence innovation is feared from befriending him.

• He should not be too eager in seeking the dunya. Which means that he is not willing to sacrifice his hereafter for it.

Friday, October 07, 2011

Ayahs of the day:To God belongs the East and the West; and wheresoever you turn, there is the presence of God. For God is omnipresent and omniscient. [2: 115]

Hadith of the day:Anyone who shows the way to something good has the same reward as the person who does it. [Muslim]

Wise quote of the day:Give priority to the Hereafter over this world, because you will then gain both of them together. [Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani]

Guidance of the day:God revealed religion out of His mercy, because we need it and cannot be truly human without it. Only those who have passed through the trials of religious experience are worthy of eternal happiness and will be distinguished in the Hereafter.

True religion is the assemblage of Divine Revelations and Divine Laws by which we can know bliss in this world and the next. Our peace and happiness depend upon leading a religious life, for only through religion can the Law be observed in all the inner and outer spheres of our existence. Only religion makes it possible for us to deserve Paradise and the vision of God. Such achievements are beyond the power of every human-made civilization, regardless of how advanced they are. [M. Fethullah Gulen]

Food for thought:So little done; so much to do. Time is the scarcest resource and unless it is managed, nothing else can be managed. Don't simply retire from something, have something to retire to.